The Ukranian Love Song

Talk about a blast from the past...  I was looking at my blog stats tonight, and I couldn't help but notice that someone from Ukraine has been reading my writings...  Ah, Ukraine...  that country brings back the memories.  You see, I went on a short term 2 week mission trip in the grand year of 2000 to a little town called Boradyanka, which is about 50 kilometers outside of the Ukranian capital of Kiev.  Kiev is really one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to in my life; it's like the Seattle green on steroids.  Of course, it wasn't just the scenery that was so fascinating...  the people were extraordinarily nice; the history was exciting to learn about; and the food was excellent!!  They serve this dish over there, it is chicken fried in this batter...  not like anything I have had here.  I wish I could have that recipee.  It was simply the best chicken I have ever eaten!

I have so many thoughts about Ukraine.  I can honestly say that I often wish that I could visit there again.  I wish I could see the people I met again.  There was the old pastor of the church I worked out of...  Such a nice man, but it was comical in a sense to me how he never missed an after lunch nap.  There was the host family- we stayed in their son's house.  He was on the Ukranian soccer team, so he wasn't home much.  But they took good care of us.  They had this crazy dog that hated us though!  No kidding, it was like cujo on meth!  It wasn't very big, only about knee high- similar in looks to a heeler.  But you could not have paid me to go within 10 feet of that thing.  It became almost demonic when it would see us...  and you could hear the anger in it's voice, almost as if it were saying "come here so I can bite your face off!" in every bark.  When I say we, of course I am meaning me and my translator Bobby.  He was a great kid, and I loved getting to know him.

I think the thing that has always stuck out most in my mind from Boradyanka, though, was the question.  Everyone wanted to know why an American like me would come to po-dunk little tiny Boradyanka.  Why would I travel half way around the world to a place with maybe a couple thousand people in population.  Everywhere we went, that was the most asked question.  The answer, of course, was always the same- I came as a missionary, to tell them about Jesus Christ and what He had done in my life.  The good news of the Gospel!  They were people I had never met before, may never see again- but God had placed a love in me for them, a desire to take His Word to them, to tell them they could have freedom, love, victory, salvation- a life changing experience...

I remember one woman in particular.  I don't remember her name, but she was an older woman in her 60's.  The pastor took us to her house, and we sat and talked for a while about life- and about God.  It was truly a heartbreaking conversation as the discussion went on...  It came to a point where she finally broke down.  Through tears she confessed that she wanted to be a Christian but just couldn't be.  I asked her why, and her answer was- I don't know.  I just know I can't.  It took almost an hour of pouring over Scripture, reasoning with her, assuring her, teaching her about the love of Christ...  Finally before we left she made the step.  She put aside her fears and set down her confusion.  Her tears were turned from sadness to joy as she opened her heart to Christ.

There are many stories I could tell from this short time I was away from American soil...  And over time I will tell more.  But I have something on my mind tonight that needs to be said.

We need a missionary mind here in America.  Why is it that we have to travel across the oceans to hear stories like hers?  It shouldn't be that way at all...  I was reading with my son in the book of Acts recently when I came across this verse:  "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart." Acts 2:46  I think that this verse holds a key to something that so desperately needs to happen here in America.  What is it you ask?  "singleness of heart".  One heart.  Take a look at the churches in China, and ask yourself where is the division of calvanist and armenian.  Take a look at the believers in Indonesia and ask yourself where are the Nazarene verses the Baptists.  Take a look at the new testament church and ask yourself where were the people who refused to work with each other because they didn't always agree on every little detail.  Then compare these churches to the American body of believers, and ask yourself when was the last time we had one heart.

We have walled ourselves in to our buildings, walled ourselves up from each other, forcing the chambers of our heart to beat at differing rythyms, never in synch, risking the health of the Body.  All the while, outside our walls lay the broken, the lost, those in desperate need to hear the Gospel.  Who will go to them?  And when we go what will they see?  Will they know we are Christians by the love we have for each other?  When we tell them our testimony of how Christ has changed our life, will our words hold any integrity at all?

When I think back to Ukraine, I think of people like that lady, so convinced she could not know the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  I think of the boys on the street who had never heard the Gospel before.  And I think of all those in America in the same place as them.  They are people who will not set foot in a church.  They are the people whom we must leave our walls behind to find.  And they are the people who need to be reached by a Body of believers, the FAMILY of God, beating with one heart...

Yes, I said family.  There are so many broken families these days... don't we have anything better to offer them?  People, the time is NOW- we must put down our differences.  We must put aside the trivial.  No, I did not say put aside truth- for truly some would try and carry this same message but emphasize dropping truth and compromising the Word of God.  I am not talking about that.  I am talking about true believers, unwilling to replace the word of God, bold in their convictions, going from house to house- or wherever the Spirit leads- in singleness of heart.

Do you want to see revival in America?  Do you want to see a spiritual awakening to God's truth in the United States?  Do you want to see a Holy Spirit movement that makes this the land not just of the free, but the free from sin, death, shame, the free in Christ?  Then my brothers and sisters, it is time that we realize we will be in Heaven for a very long time together, so we better get used to each other now.  We are family.  We have a nation of lost souls that need us to act on love for each other.  Let's get together, one heart, no walls!!!